Opuntia ficus-indica
Opuntia ficus-indica
Safety & Hazards
The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids - these are barbed spines that are usually small to minute and are very sharp and brittle. The glochids are very easily dislodged when the plant is touched and can penetrate the skin where, because of their barbs, they become stuck and are very difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable irritation and discomfort[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 1999 Title A natural history of the Sonoran Desert Publication Author Phillips S.J. & Comus P.W. Publisher University of California Press; Los Angeles, California Year 2000 ISBN 0-520-22029-3 Description ]. Opuntia species can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, especially in older parts of the plant. Perfectly alright in small quantities, foods containing oxalic acid should not be eaten in large amounts since it can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[ 238 Title Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Publication Author Bown. D. Publisher Dorling Kindersley, London. Year 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31 Description A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant. , 1999 Title A natural history of the Sonoran Desert Publication Author Phillips S.J. & Comus P.W. Publisher University of California Press; Los Angeles, California Year 2000 ISBN 0-520-22029-3 Description ].
Botanical Description
Opuntia ficus-indica is a prickly, evergreen, large, bushy cactus that can sometimes develop a definite woody trunk and is capable of growing up to 5 metres tall[ 529 Title The Cactaceae Publication Author Britton N.L. & Rose J.N. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher The Carnegie Institution of Washington; Washington. Year 1920 ISBN Description An immense work in 4 volumes. Many of the botanical names are out of date, of course, but the book contains a wealth of information about the plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. It has a shallow, fleshy root system with a horizontal spread[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The plant is cultivated in many warm temperate and sub tropical areas for its edible fruits[89,183] and also for its use as a stock-proof barrier[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. The fruit is often found for sale in markets[ 416 Title Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics Publication Author Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S. Publisher Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil. Year 2000 ISBN 85-867174-24-0 Description A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits. ]. The plant is widely grown from the warm temperate to the tropical zones and has often escaped from cultivation. It has become an invasive weed in many areas, including around the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, S. Africa and Mexico[ 529 Title The Cactaceae Publication Author Britton N.L. & Rose J.N. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher The Carnegie Institution of Washington; Washington. Year 1920 ISBN Description An immense work in 4 volumes. Many of the botanical names are out of date, of course, but the book contains a wealth of information about the plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].